Page 23 of The Alpha's Mystery

It only happens when I’m in serious danger, or, apparently, when Natalie Lennox is out of my sight for five minutes.

“Let me see her.” Forced out through gritted teeth, my voice is ragged and comes from deep in my gut where a primal urge to pound this guy into the ground is building, even if he is her brother.

“What the fuck?” The other man looks at Mitch, confused, then he turns back to me, eyes seeming to glow amber in the sunset bathing the landscape outside in orange light.

“Mason? Go and get Nat. Tell her lover-boy is out here and looking for her.”

Mitch barely turns his head as he gives the order. Mason hesitates for a second, narrowing his eyes at me, but turns and strides toward the rear of the bar. Mitch moves back, giving me more space and turns to walk outside.

“I still can’t let you into the bar, but let’s see if Nat vouches for you.”

Relaxing a fraction, I regret it immediately when the heavy door swings shut and a bolt is dragged across before I can reach it.

“That seems a bit unnecessary,” I comment, staring at the sliver of Mitch’s shadow I can see under the sealed door.

“On the contrary, it seems absolutely necessary to me. Until I know what I’m dealing with.”

I should have reigned in my anger better. It doesn’t go unnoticed that he said “what”, instead of “who”. Focusing on breathing in and out to restore my calm, I close my eyes and force the rage back down. I’m practically zen when the door to the bar swings open and slams off the outside wall with a crash just a few short minutes later.

She’s here.

“You don’t think I have enough problems right now, Nat?” Mitch asks, tone calm, but there’s a bite to it. This is a man under pressure.

“Chase is harmless.”

Harmless? I’ll fucking show her harmless.

“And he doesn’t know about the obvious so don’t you say a word,” Natalie warns Mitch as she continues to approach, her delicate scent teasing me the nearer she gets.

“For fucks sake,” Mitch mutters, and I hear the scrape of his stubble as he drags a hand down his chin. “You’re responsible for him. Do what you want.”

Natalie doesn’t respond to that part. She’s standing right beside the door now, her presence calling to me from the far side of the metal between us.

“This seems over the top. Didn’t realise Dad put this in.” Natalie sighs loudly, her disapproval clear. Mitch remains silent. He knew.

She kicks the bottom of the metal door and it bangs loudly, the sound reverberating off the walls. “Not slick at all, Mr. Walker, getting yourself locked in like this.” Coming around to a barred window on the side, she peers in at me and shakes her head sadly. She’s got another cardboard box, hefted in her slim arms, but she holds the weight easily as she stares at me, trying to decide how to make my misery even more complete.

Without tearing her beautiful brown eyes away from mine, she calls over her shoulder. “Mason, I have some chores to do that would be easier if I didn’t have Mr. Walker on my tail. Could you wait for an hour, or three, and then let him out? Make sure he leaves Black River before any of the other boys decide he should stay.”

Neither man argues with her, in fact I’m almost certain Mitch chuckles. “Whatever you say, sis.”

Oh, shit. She’s not really going to leave me here, is she? Was Van’s dumbass joke spot on?

“Don’t you dare,” I warn, staring unblinking into her eyes, which are now dancing with excitement at getting one up on me after I was such a dick to her this morning. Payback’s a bitch.

“Or what?” Her tongue darts out and moistens her bottom lip as she tilts her head and smiles at me. As well as being absolutely furious, I’ve never been so turned on in my life. My gaze drops to her lips and I imagine kissing the hell out of her, shutting that smart mouth by covering it with my own, biting that full pillowy bottom lip. Hard. Her pupils dilate, and I know she’s thinking about the same thing.

The moment is broken when someone else joins us, crashing through the back door and standing, just visible in the dusk, rubbing his upper arm and moving his jaw from side to side.

“Natalie, you can’t just barge in here and steal shit…”

He stops complaining when he senses the tension in the air.

“Never mind. But, Mitch, you gotta tell her. You chose to leave, Nat. You can’t come back and act like you own the place.” Those are his parting words as he limps back into the dark bowels of the bar.

“I’m not stealing, I’m collecting. There’s a difference,” she calls after him, eyes still fixed firmly on me.

“Go on, Natalie. Get out of here before you cause any more trouble.”

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